Circuit-closer for door-locks



A. K WINTER. OlROUlT CLOSER FOR DOOR LOCKS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 20, 1918.

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CIRCUIT-CLOSER FOR DOOR-LOCKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J nne 29, 1920.

Application filed September 20, 1918. Serial No. 254.916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANNA Koran WINTER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Circuit-Closers for Door-Locks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in signal devices as applied to doors whereby an audible alarm is given when an unauthorized person attempts to enter the door by means of a false key.

The principal object of the invention is to apply a simple, inexpensive door attachment which will cause an automatic alarm, warning the occupants of the building that an attempt is being made to open the door.

A further object is to render the engagement of the key with the lock bolt a matter of considerable difficulty to a person unacquainted with the construction of the same.

These and other like objects are attained by the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and shown in the accompanying drawings, which form a material part of this specification, and which Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a fragmentary portion of the door, indicating the application of the .inventlon.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional View taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view showing modification of construction, and

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4, and drawn to an enlarged scale.

Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive on the drawings, as shown, apply to a lock of conventional type, the door being indicated by the reference numeral 1, having the usual plate 2, below the fragmentary portion of the knob 3.

Means are provided whereby the application of a key inserted into the door will cause an audible alarm, warning the occupant of the building, but permitting those authorized to enter by the proper manipulation of the key, which will then open the door without sounding the alarm, the arrangement being such as to cause the sounding of the alarm if the key is inserted by any other than one of the occupants.

In the device shown, there is mounted an electrical contacting device within a recess 4 formed in the door. This contact device is comprised of a rigid contacting finger 5, and a resilient contact finger 6, mounted in an insulating block 7, the resilient finger 6 being outward. Engaged with the contact fingers 5 and 6, are a pair of insulated wires 10 and 11, connected with a battery 12, a bell 13, of the usual type of construction, being in the circuit and which may be located at any point preferred so as towarn the occupants of the building.

Referring now more particularly to the modifications shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the contact device projects into a recess formed in the circular plate 16, which is usually furnished with a Yale lock, the barrel portion 18 of which extends through the door. The key-hole 17 extends from the face of the plate 16 to the recess 15 and it will be apparent that when the key is inserted into the key-hole 17, the contact finger 6 will be pressed into engagement with the fixed contact finger 5, and the circuit closed, causing the bell 13 to ring.

In order to further induce a stranger to use the false key-hole the usual normal keyhole 17 which extends into the rotatable barrel 18, is closed by a hinged shutter 19,

normally flush with the face of the plate 16,

and which is flexibly held in a closed position by a spring 20, which engages the pin 21 in an. obvious manner. In order to allow the shutter to be readily mounted, the barrel 18 is made into a flexible cap 18*, which may be fastened in any preferred manner. The shutter 19, being forced back by the insertion of the key, will automatically swing forward into a closed position when the key is withdrawn.

In the modification shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the keyhole is enlarged in its circular portion and the contact fingers 5 and 6 reach downwardly, entering the upper portion of the key-hole, with suflicient space left below to permit the key, as indicated by the dotted lines 26, to pass thereunder for insertion in the lock 27 It is preferred to locate a spring 28 at the bottom of the interior of the key-hole, the same operating to press the key upward, causing the contact device to operate, but by pressing down upon the key when inserted, to permit the electrical contact to re-= main inoperative.

From the foregoing it will be clearly apparent that means have been descnbed and shown which Wlll cause an alarm to be given by one attempting to open the door and Whois not familiar with the structure.

Having thus described my invention What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: V

1. In a door lock the combination with the normal body having a key slot, the body having a similar slot that is adjacent to said key slot and of different configuration, an electric contact device in the body at the latter slot adapted to control an alarm and arranged to be engaged by a key when it is inserted in said similar slot.

2. In a door lock, the combination With the normal body having a key slot, the body having a similar slot that is adjacent to said key slot and of different configuration, an electric contact device in the body at the latter slot adapted to control an alarm and arranged to be engaged by a key when it is inserted in said similar slot, and a shutter pivoted at the first mentioned key bore in the body normally closing the aperture for the key and arranged to permit insertion of the key.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 1st day of April, A. D. 1918.

ANNA KOFAL \VINTER. lVitness:

GEO. N. VERITZAN. 

